


I've just one wish on this Christmas Eve

by heathtrash



Series: Merry Christmas, Darling (mumbroom ficlets) [2]
Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, F/F, Fireside Confessions, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:07:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22051534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heathtrash/pseuds/heathtrash
Summary: One year on, Julie has invited Hecate over to help her wrap presents for Mildred - but she also has a little something for Hecate.
Relationships: Hardbroom/Julie Hubble
Series: Merry Christmas, Darling (mumbroom ficlets) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1587220
Comments: 12
Kudos: 58
Collections: The Worst Witch Winter Warmers 2019





	I've just one wish on this Christmas Eve

**Author's Note:**

> This follows on from my previous mumbroom winter warmer fic, [In my dreams I'm Christmasing with you](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21915283), but can also be read as a standalone.

“Julie, what _have_ you done with this sticking tape?”

Julie looked over at a scowling Hecate Hardbroom, who was using her long black fingernails to attempt to find the location of the end of the tape.

“Oh sorry, I completely forgot about the end,” Julie replied.

Hecate’s eyes swivelled over to Julie. “If you are going to force me to use these Ordinary wrapping implements, please make certain that they are in order _beforehand_.”

The pile of Mildred’s presents next to her was growing no smaller. It consisted of a variety of highly practical gifts from Hecate (a new set of protective gloves for harvesting potions ingredients, a new quill, and a particularly verbose tome on the subject of the Role of the Broomstick in the Craft, from Historical to Present Day Usage), and slightly less practical gifts from Julie that Mildred would actually appreciate (a mobile telephone case with an image of what was clearly meant to be a witch upon it, a flimsy plastic cylinder containing fairy lights in the shape of unicorns, a pet bed for Tabby shaped like a furry slipper, a bag of glittery bath bombs that almost resembled sweets, and so much chocolate that Hecate feared for Mildred’s teeth). Although, Hecate admitted, the hand-knitted cardigan Julie had made her—in school regulation colours, thankfully—was one of the most useful gifts they were giving her. Julie had also optimistically included a pack of coloured gel pens—which Hecate had quietly allowed Julie to do, even though such pens were not permitted to be used for prep.

Hecate finally unpeeled the tape from where it had adhered to itself, and in the process, accidentally split the section of tape with her black talons. “Confounded thing!” she exclaimed, attempting to detach the piece of tape that had stuck to her nail.

“Let me cut you pieces of tape to make it easier for you,” Julie said soothingly, prising the wheel of tape out of Hecate’s fumbling hands to Hecate’s hands, “But first, I think you need a fresh cup of tea.” Julie’s hand curled around her mug even as Hecate inhaled a sharp breath to complain, and Julie had already whisked it off to the kitchen and set the kettle roaring before Hecate processed what had happened.

“Don’t worry about it so much, love,” Julie said as she came over to Hecate pre-folding the wrapping paper with the aid of a ruler so that the corners would be perfectly crisp when she taped them.

“It has to look _neat_ at the very least,” Hecate grumbled, mollified slightly by the steaming mug of tea Julie set down beside her.

“Me, I just bundle it up and wind tape around it until you can’t see what’s inside,” Julie said, leaning with her hand on the high back of Hecate’s chair.

“I can see that,” Hecate said wryly, giving the pile of gifts Julie had wrapped a supercilious side-eye.

“Oi, now,” Julie said in one of her rare serious tones, eyebrows raised. “You’re getting into teacher mode. What did we say about getting too critical?”

Hecate breathed out heavily through her nose. “Julie—”

“—Hecate. Drink your tea.” Julie put her hands on Hecate’s shoulders and squeezed. “You’re so tense. You know all I want is help you relax, love.”

Hecate looked down into the mug, feeling the pang of guilt from her acrid tone weigh on her. She could immediately tell by the gentle floral aroma that it was not merely tea from a bag. “Julie, this is your _expensive_ tea.”

“I know,” Julie said, resuming her seat next to Hecate. “Now tell me what’s really on your mind.”

Hecate tore her gaze from Julie’s blue eyes to the wall where the Christmas tree lights were blinking on and off, casting an alternating red and green glow. Julie hadn’t acquired new lights since last year; this was an enchantment Julie had asked Hecate to do. “This is our second Christmas together.”

Julie put her hand on Hecate’s leg fondly and nodded, encouraging her to continue. The warmth of Julie’s hand and the unexpected—but not unwelcome —contact was a comfort that she had not realised that she was craving.

Hecate swallowed and forced her throat to unstick. “Last year was—wonderful. It touched me that you invited me along even though we had only just begun seeing each other.” 

Julie smiled and met Hecate’s eyes with hers, which were sparkling blue with the lights from the Christmas tree. “Could hardly leave you all alone in that big old castle, could I?”

Hecate allowed a small smile to falter her worried expression for a moment. “I am worried that since I am more involved this year—that there will be something I will do _wrong_. I simply— I do not wish for anything to get in the way of yours—or Mildred’s—happiness.”

“Hecate—love—” Julie brushed back an imaginary hair from Hecate’s face, and Hecate shivered with the sensation. “You couldn’t possibly do anything wrong. You don’t even have to feel jolly if you don’t feel like it. What’s important is being _together_ and supporting each other.”

Hecate’s eyes were overwhelmed by a sudden onslaught of tears. Words would not come to her tongue, which suddenly felt too large in her mouth to articulate her feelings; Julie’s assurance was almost enough to combat the growing anxiety within her.

“Oh love,” Julie said, in that way that was so familiar to Hecate. She took both of Hecate’s hands in her own and guided her up to her feet.

Hecate felt Julie’s arms wrap around her. While Julie was smaller than Hecate, Hecate found herself sinking into the perfect blissful cradle of Julie’s arms—it was like coming home. Cackle’s would always be the central foundation of her existence, but Julie’s heart was had become the place where she made her home.

“I’m sorry,” Hecate whispered, resting her cheek against Julie’s curls.

“Don’t be,” Julie said, her thumb rubbing circles on Hecate’s back. “You’re stressed, and falling back into teacher mode is how you cope with that. But I’m here for you. You know that?”

Hecate broke away from the hug, but only so that she could look into Julie’s eyes as she said, “I do— know that.” She took her seat again, intently aware of the amount of wrapping they still had to get through, and set about beginning where she had left off with renewed single-mindedness.

Julie put her hand on Hecate’s shoulder and stroked her fingers against where Hecate’s clavicle would be under her blouse. “Can I play with your hair while you continue wrapping?”

Hecate hardly paused in her concentration on the wrapping paper in front of her. “If it would please you.”

“Well ideally I’d like to please _you_ , Hecate,” Julie retorted, her mouth twisting in a provocative smile. 

“Then I will not demur,” Hecate murmured, swallowing in anticipation as she began folding the sheaf of paper over her ruler.

Hecate felt a slight pressure as Julie began removing the pins that held Hecate’s bun firmly to her head, and the breath she was holding in trepidation escaped her lips in short starts. Sections of hair fell down over her shoulders, tumbling down from the high ponytail in untwisting spirals. Hecate tried to maintain her countenance, but Julie’s hands in her hair were too impossibly sensual to resist giving into, and she allowed herself a small smile as she felt the tug against her scalp of Julie slowly drawing the tight elastic along the length of her hair. 

Hecate shook her head a little and her hair magically relaxed where it had developed deep dents from being scragged into a tight bun all day. Being released from her carefully controlled state made her feel extremely vulnerable—

“You secretly like it, don’t you?” Hecate heard Julie say from behind her, interrupting her thought.

Hecate froze while cutting a fresh piece of paper from the roll glittering with metallic print.

“Wrapping presents,” Julie elaborated. “You take extra care and pride with things you enjoy.”

Hecate regarded the stack of gifts she had wrapped with an analytical eye. She did not feel she had done an especially precise or expert job—the ribbons could be curlier—the pattern-matching of the wrapping paper more exact. “I work diligently even at the most distasteful of tasks—perhaps even especially so then—but it is, shall we say, satisfying work.”

“You do always work hard.” Although Hecate could not see her face, Julie’s smile was evident through her tone. “But I can tell you _like_ this.”

Julie lifted the full weight of Hecate’s hair in her hands and gathered it into a low ponytail, making Hecate shiver as Julie’s fingertips brushed against the fine hairs of her nape. Julie let the dark hair flow through her hands and Hecate found that it was much harder to concentrate on both the wrapping and what was going on behind her at the same time. Julie folded her fingers around the handful of hair as she gently pulled it into a rope.

“You are not incorrect,” Hecate said softly, lulled into a state of utter relaxation.

Hecate found her willingness to continue with her task waning against her desire to surrender herself to Julie’s fingers, which now sank through her thick hair and made circles on her scalp. She let her hands fall into her lap from where they had been folding paper over the tome she was giving Mildred and closed her eyes.

“Maybe you should take a little break,” Julie suggested in a low voice, stroking Hecate’s ear delicately.

Hecate turned her face to Julie’s hand and pressed a kiss to the joint of her finger. “I think you are right.”

Julie circled around to her front and slipped her hands into Hecate’s. Hecate barely needed encouragement as she rose from her seat, stepping closer into Julie’s body and sinking into a deep kiss they both longed to taste. Julie’s arms pulled Hecate’s hips closer to hers, as a patter of rain began hitting the windows, and they became lost in each other’s embrace until Julie finally broke away.

“I have something for you,” Julie said, a grin spreading hopelessly across her flushed cheeks.

“Something else?” Hecate quirked an eyebrow.

“It’s one I wrapped earlier,” Julie replied, crouching down next to the tree—its plastic branches snagging a little at her hair—and producing an awfully wrapped box with a shining gold gift bow stuck to the top.

Hecate took the box—it was small and somewhat heavier than it looked. She plucked the bow from the top and pressed it to Julie’s cardigan fondly. “You are certainly the only gift I would wish for.”

“Open it, for heaven’s sake, love,” Julie said, suddenly sounding a little desperate.

Knowing now she had the power to make Julie squirm, Hecate smirked as she made a show of slicing through every piece of wrinkled tape individually with her sharp nails. Julie was worrying at her lip throughout the whole process. It was unlike Julie to be so nervous—either the present was expensive, or some kind of risk that she suspected Hecate might now appreciate.

Underneath the paper was a flimsy white card box. Intrigue overcoming playfulness, Hecate opened it, and saw the rim of a bone china mug within surrounded by bubble wrap, and the hint of the loop of an elegant handle. Hecate withdrew it to see a plain white—but attractively shaped mug.

“It’s lovely—”

“—turn it around,” Julie interrupted.

Hecate turned it over in her hands and what she saw melted her. Across the top was written “#2 Mum” in Mildred’s handwriting, and a picture of herself—much more artfully depicted than Julie’s own “#1 Mum” mug—smiling, with her arm around Julie, with Mildred in the front. This could not be—

“Hecate Hardbroom, will you marry me?” Julie’s eyes met hers, bright with exhilaration and hope in the blinking Christmas tree lights.

Hecate felt her heart thudding in her chest as she stood staring at Julie as a flood of feelings of unworthiness crashed against all she had ever desired. The mug grew warm with how hot her hands had suddenly become.

“O—of course I will,” Hecate managed to stutter, before an unbidden tear spilled down her cheek—Julie’s lips were there to kiss it away before she could raise a hand to her face.

Hecate was dizzy with her magic fizzing within her—Julie took the packaging and the mug from her, set them safely on the table, and guided her down onto the sofa. 

“I’ve wanted to ask you for such a long time,” Julie began in a hurried mess of words, “but I wasn’t sure if—if you would want to. It’s complicated—with Mildred in the picture—but I asked her what she thought of the idea and she—well, you know—you’re her _favourite teacher_ and she said there’s no one she’d rather have as her second mum. So— I know it’s a lot to ask, but—”

Hecate gazed lovingly at Julie while she babbled, softening as she realised Julie’s fear was as great as her own. “Julie, I know,” she began somewhat calmly, before her own quiver of anxiety reared up once more. “I am more than ready to try, even if the thought of failing either of you terrifies me—”

Julie shook her head hastily. “There’s no failing. We’re going to be together every step of the way. But you’re really sure you want to? Marry me? Because if you want—”

Hecate cut her off with a kiss, willing _yes_ into each brush of her lips against Julie’s, and gently pushing her back onto the arm rest as she leaned over her. Her hair fell forward over Julie in a curtain of dark waves, until she tossed it over her back as it frustrated her eager kisses.

“You know I want only you— and that I love you,” Hecate murmured, hovering over Julie.

“I love you too, you silly witch. Now, bring those lips back here, _Mrs_ Hardbroom,” Julie said with a wink.

“As you wish, Ms Hubble,” purred Hecate.


End file.
